Sacramento's Heavy Hand: SB 79 Bulldozes Local Control in the Name of Housing

October 10, 2025 – Sacramento, CA

In a move that critics are calling a brazen overreach by state government, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 79, the so-called "Abundant & Affordable Homes Near Transit Act," into law today, further eroding local control over zoning in California's cities.

Authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the bill forces municipalities to allow mid-rise apartment buildings-some as tall as nine stories-near major transit hubs, steamrolling local zoning laws and community input under the guise of solving the state's housing crisis.

While proponents claim it will boost affordability, detractors argue it's a one-size-fits-all mandate that risks gentrification, displacement, and the destruction of neighborhood character.

SB 79 targets parcels within a half-mile of major transit stops-like train stations, subways, or bus rapid transit lines-in California's largest metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego. In smaller cities, the radius shrinks to a quarter-mile, but the effect is the same: local governments lose the ability to decide what gets built in their backyards.

The bill allows developers to bypass discretionary approvals through ministerial processes, sidestepping public hearings and community feedback. It even exempts qualifying projects from certain California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) reviews, a move critics say prioritizes developer profits over environmental and social concerns.

The Democrats pushing SB 79, led by Wiener and backed by Newsom's signature, tout it as a bold step toward addressing California's housing shortage, estimated at 3.5 million units. They argue that denser development near transit will reduce car dependency, cut emissions, and make housing more affordable by increasing supply. But this narrative glosses over glaring flaws.

For one, the bill lacks enforceable affordability requirements, meaning developers can build market-rate luxury apartments while claiming to serve the public good. Critics, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, warn that this could accelerate gentrification in working-class and minority neighborhoods near transit hubs, displacing the very communities Democrats claim to champion.

Local governments and residents are understandably furious. "This is Sacramento telling us how to run our cities," said a Pasadena city councilmember who requested anonymity, citing fear of state retaliation. "We know our communities best, not some San Francisco senator or a governor chasing headlines."

The bill's narrow passage in the Senate (21-8) reflects deep unease even among Democrats, who forced amendments to exclude historic districts and wildfire-prone areas. Yet these concessions do little to assuage concerns that SB 79 hands developers a blank check while silencing local voices.

Wiener's track record of pushing top-down housing reforms-SB 9, SB 10, and now SB 79-reveals a troubling pattern of prioritizing ideology over pragmatism. His vision of a transit-oriented utopia ignores the reality that not all communities are ready for high-rise sprawl.

Smaller cities, already strained by limited resources, face the same mandates as urban giants like Los Angeles, with little flexibility to adapt. And while the bill includes labor standards like prevailing wages for larger projects, it's a thin veneer of progressivism that does little to address the broader issue: a state government increasingly comfortable dictating terms to its cities.

Newsom's enthusiastic signing of SB 79 only deepens the skepticism. Once a mayor himself, Newsom should understand the value of local governance. Instead, he's doubling down on a centralized approach that risks alienating the diverse communities he claims to serve.

The governor's rhetoric about "abundant housing" sounds hollow when the bill fails to guarantee affordability or protect vulnerable residents from displacement.

His administration's reliance on developer-friendly policies raises questions about whose interests are truly being served.

As SB 79 takes effect on January 1, 2026, cities must scramble to update their zoning codes or face penalties under the Housing Accountability Act. For many, it feels like a betrayal by a Democratic Party that once prided itself on community empowerment.

"This isn't about housing; it's about control," said a South Los Angeles activist. "They're selling out our neighborhoods to developers while pretending it's for our benefit." With California's housing crisis far from solved, SB 79 risks becoming another chapter in Sacramento's long history of promising much and delivering little-except, perhaps, more resentment from the communities it claims to help.

For more details on the bill, visit the California Legislative Information website.